The Diocese of Orange broke ground Monday on a 21-home private housing development at its Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in La Habra, a project organizers say will add housing and generate long-term funding for Catholic ministries.
The two-story townhomes will be built on a vacant 1.6-acre property south of the church that was previously used on occasion as a softball field. The homes will range from 1,500 to 1,700 square feet, and include two-car garages. Nineteen will be offered at market rates, while two will be reserved for moderate-income households.
“This started with a vision of what the Diocese of Orange could do with some of its property that might be utilized differently, maybe more economically,” said Stephen Cameron, president and CEO of Foremost Companies and a member of the Orange Catholic Foundation’s board of directors. “Every dime this project generates is going to go right back to the ministries of the church.”
-
Bishops Kevin Vann, left, Timothy Freyer, center, and Pastor Will Goldin of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in La Habra break ground on Monday, November 9, 2026, for a 21-unit residential development behind the church. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
1 of 7
Bishops Kevin Vann, left, Timothy Freyer, center, and Pastor Will Goldin of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in La Habra break ground on Monday, November 9, 2026, for a 21-unit residential development behind the church. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Project representatives are estimating the development will generate more than $30 million in rental income over the next 30 years, providing funds to support diocesan youth ministry, the Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish and Catholic elementary education through Pax Christi Academies, a network of five Orange County Catholic schools in Santa Ana, Anaheim and Orange.
Shea Homes of California will serve as construction manager and Western National Properties will handle property management once the homes are ready. Cameron said crews could begin pouring foundation slabs in December or January, weather permitting.
Auxiliary Bishop Timothy Freyer recalled the site as largely unused land when he served at the parish as a seminary intern in 1988.
“To see that it is now going to be a place where people can have a home, where families can live and celebrate holidays together, is a great blessing for the city and for us as a church,” Freyer said. “I think it will become a model for the church throughout the country.”
The Most Rev. Kevin Vann, bishop of the OC diocese, led the groundbreaking service and blessing, praying for construction workers’ safety and the project’s successful completion.
“Today, as we break ground on this project, we recognize that we are not simply building homes,” Vann said. “We are laying the foundation for a lasting investment in the mission of the church.”
There has been a trend in Southern California of churches turning to excess properties to help address housing needs, some also serving as income sources. In nearby Placentia, the Santa Angelina housing project was built at the Church of the Blessed Sacrament and Orchard View Gardens in Buena Park on St. Joseph’s Episcopal Church grounds. In Santa Ana, the 93-unit Legacy Square is an income source now for Santa Ana United Methodist Church.
A 2023 state bill helps with local zoning, removes some planning restrictions and guarantees “by-right” approval for residential projects.
Cameron said the diocese would evaluate the La Habra development before considering similar projects on other church properties.
“We’ll see how this one goes,” he said, “and then if this works, we’ll go look for other opportunities.”